NBA stars LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony squared off for the first time in high school in 2002.
Now 20 years later, their sons, Bronny James and Kiyan Anthony, are set to face off in high school. Bronny’s Sierra Canyon School, is hosting Kiyan’s Christ the King High School on Monday night.
The game will take place in Chatsworth, California at 8:30 pm, according to Tarek Fattal of the LA Daily News. It will be televised on ESPN, with LeBron and Carmelo expected to be in attendance.
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Bronny James is currently a high school senior and is projected to be a second-round pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. ESPN currently has Bronny ranked as the 34th best prospect in the class of 2023, while 247 Sports has Bronny ranked 40th.
Meanwhile, Kiyan Anthony is still just a high school sophomore. Kiyan is ranked 62nd in the class of 2025 by 247 Sports.
Obviously, both Bronny and Kiyan are not the same level of prospects LeBron and Carmelo were at their age, but given the history between their families, it should be a fun night for all involved.
LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony’s 2002 high school matchup
As for LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony’s high school matchup in 2002, both young stars lived up to their hype that night.
James’ St. Vincent-St. Mary High School and Anthony's Oak Hill Academy faced off in Trenton, New Jersey, in February 2002. It was reportedly a soldout game with 11,000 fans in attendance. James was the nation’s top-ranked high school junior at the time, while Anthony was the nation’s top-ranked high school senior.
James finished with 36 points, eight rebounds and five assists on 12-for-27 (44.4%) shooting. Meanwhile, Anthony double-doubled with 34 points and 11 rebounds on 14-for-25 (56.0%) shooting.
Anthony’s team won the game 72-66, in what would end up being a preview of the two star’s legendary careers.
James went on to be drafted No. 1 in the 2003 NBA Draft as a senior straight out of high school.
Anthony, meanwhile, attended a year of college at Syracuse. He led the Orange to the 2003 National Championship before being drafted No. 3 in the 2003 NBA Draft, two spots after James.
James and Anthony have faced off against each other 36 times in the NBA, with James having a 22-14 head-to-head lead. They also played 46 games together last season as teammates for the LA Lakers.
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